Mattress and box spring
Best bed bug encasements
The best bed bug encasement traps bugs already in the mattress and gives you a smooth surface you can inspect. Buy a cover sold as bed-bug rated, with a zipper that closes and stays closed. Encasements do not kill a Bed bug population in the couch, the baseboard, or the next apartment. They are one step beside laundry heat and a real inspection.
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Best known encasement: Protect-A-Bed mattress encasement. Protect-A-Bed is the brand shoppers can actually find in a bed-bug-proof zipper. Cover the mattress and the box spring. Leave the zipper closed. A pad with no zipper is a different product.
Compare the picks
| Role | Tool | Best for | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best known encasement | Protect-A-Bed mattress encasement | A mattress you will keep | Hardware |
| Best spec to shop | Zippered mattress and box-spring encasement | Any size if the zipper is the feature | Hardware |
| Best companion | ClimbUp bed-bug interceptors | Bed legs, after the cover is on | Hardware |
Which one to buy
Hardware
Protect-A-Bed mattress encasement
Best known encasement — Protect-A-Bed is the brand shoppers can actually find in a bed-bug-proof zipper. Cover the mattress and the box spring. Leave the zipper closed. A pad with no zipper is a different product.
Hardware
Zippered mattress and box-spring encasement
Best spec to shop — Shop the zipper and the bite-proof claim, not the print on the fabric. If the teeth gap, bugs walk out. Measure the depth of the mattress before you order.
Hardware
ClimbUp bed-bug interceptors
Best companion — Interceptors show whether anything is still climbing. An encasement without a way to see new arrivals hides the next introduction.
How to buy the right size and leave it on
Measure length, width, and depth. A cover that does not close over a pillow-top is not installed. Put the encasement on before you move the mattress through the rest of the house, or you scatter bugs into the hallway. Leave it on for a year or more so bugs sealed inside die. Inspect the zipper every time you change sheets.
Wash bedding on hot and dry it hot. Do not buy a fogger as the partner product. Heat treatments and, in multi-family buildings, a coordinated program beat a can. The encasement makes inspection possible. It is not the whole treatment.
Common questions
Do mattress encasements get rid of bed bugs?
They contain the ones in that mattress and box spring. Bugs in the frame, the sofa, and the wall remain. Use encasements with inspection, laundry heat, and interceptors.
What should I look for in a bed bug cover?
A zipper that fully closes, a fabric labeled against bed-bug bites, and a size that matches the mattress depth. Skip thin pads and “hypoallergenic” covers that do not mention bed bugs.
Should I throw the mattress out?
Often no. Moving an uncovered mattress spreads bugs. Encase it. Discard only if it is torn beyond a cover or you can wrap it so nothing falls off on the way out.